Crisis averted but have a question re: stasis

[EileenH]

OK, I feel a little stupid here, but I'm still glad I acted on my instinct.

Last night, I had Gulliver out. I noticed that while he was running around, he spent a lot of time by his cage. I was busy doing stuff, got his food together while he was running around and about 11:00 put him away. He seemed fine, gave me some kisses and I went to bed.

This morning, my husband woke me up before it was time for me to get up saying that "something was wrong with the rabbit & he has to go to the vet asap." He went to feed him and noticed he didn't eat anything overnight, and he wouldn't get up. He offered him a craisin and Gulliver still wouldn't get up. Definitely something is wrong.
So, I tried to rouse him and he was definitely off; refused food, refused craisins, his front paws were kind of clenched into the rug. After a few minutes, he got up but only to move to the other side of cage, away from me, and laid right back down.

Of COURSE, today is the day that his vet is not technically open; I knew they were there but aren't open for regular appts. In a bit of a panic, I left a message that I was bringing him in. I heated up a snuggle safe and was on my way.

I dropped him off because they couldn't see me right away; they said they'd call me when they looked at him. So about 10:00, I get a call that his temp is fine, he had a little gas but nothing really much and he is chowing down hay. I don't know if it was the heat from the snuggle safe or the car ride, but he seemed to be on the mend.
Embarrased? You betcha.

They kept him all day and we picked him up tonight. He seems to be over whatevercaused theproblem.

So, I've been reading a lot of the posts here about stasis, and it seems that many of you perhaps would not have run out with their bunny.
I did feel, and so did my husband, that it was an emergency and thought it was better to err on the side of caution.

If he had slowed down, I probably would have tried SQ fluids, Metacam, canned pumpkin, tummy rubs etc.. But he was totally off his food; he was cool, his ears were white, and he seemed to be in a lot of pain based on his being stretched out and digging his claws into the rug. I thought it was a little beyond working it out at home first.

I see a lot of you say that you spend the day syringing them and watching them, etc.. but how do you do that if you have to go to work? I just read so many stories about bunnies crashing and dying within 24 hours; I can't imagine just going to work.

Stasis is so scary. I'm just wondering how you deal with it and when you know it's time to run them to the vet?

PS - I couldn't even monitor his poop; I had to go to a physical, and was out all day, so I hadn't had a chance to change his litter box. So there were a bunch of good poop in there from before, so I couldn't even monitor any small or odd shaped poop.

 

[JadeIcing]

I myself can't tell you. If I am not going to be home I have picked up my brother, had him brought to me ETC. He stays with them and calls if anything is wrong.

 

[Ivory]

Teehee. You gotta remember a few things.

Firstly, do you really want to deal with it or your own, or would you like to leave them with a vet? Some people would strongly prefer, even if it costs a few hundred dollars, to have the security for of being at a vet's office if something is a little wrong. I know someone who paid $700 to get their rabbit spayed- yeah. Normally about a $150 surgery, she didn't just get blood panels or stuff done- she had an IV, a heart monitor, and a lot of other crap that I deem totally uneeded and ridiculous. But, that's what she wanted to do for the security...so I can't criticize her too much, I guess.

Secondly....you maybe acted "rashly" but it wasn't in a bad way! Nah, you get Gulliver in really quickly, to get him taken care of. It's better for you to freak out and bring him in, than to freak out and keep him at home, not knowing what to do. That happens a lot, believe me.

Thirdly...car rides are good for gassy bunny tummies! Also, putting them on top of the washing machine while it's running a heavy, large load (in a warm, soft pet taxi) helps. It helps break up the gas bubbles.

Fourthly- some people would monitor food/poop intake. While this is nice...not all of us can. I have 18+ hours of school a week- I feed my bunny, I watch him, and I take care of him, and he gets lots of love and attention. However, I can't be there in perfect 24-hour increments to see when he's pooping or when he's eating or whatnot. I have to leave him with his food in the morning, and see what he's eaten at night. When I see him off of food or water and not pooping...the soonest I can get him home, the better, so he can be looked at and taken care of, or referred out. I'd rather not leave him for 12 hours alone if I know he's beginning stasis. (He's not always alone 12 hours, but 1-2 days out of the week he is.) Your caution of leaving him alone, when bunnies can and do crash in 24 hours, is really good.

I personally can't stay home all the time with my rabbits to monitor them- and it's therefore a very HUGE comfort to have them at the vet's. I did probably exactly about what you would do.

 

[Flashy]

I think we all have to do what we think is necessary at the time.

Often the people who deal with it themselves don't have a choice or have experienced it many times before and know at which point they choose to call a vet.

All you can do is do what you think is the best thing at the time, so you did great

 

[EileenH]

Thanks guys. I did do what I thought was the right thing at the time..

As far as monitoring food, it was easy: he ate nothing. Wouldn't even look at any food. And though I usually clean his litter pan every day/every other day, I didn't get to clean it the night before, so it was full from the day before. I would have had no way of knowing if there was a slowdown.

He's doing well today, thank goodness. And my husband said that when he picked him up last night, he had told the vet how he was in the morning, and asked if the car ride & the heat could have gotten him over the hump. She said yes, and then laughed and said "The miracle ride to the vet!".

It was a humbling day, at best, but at least Gulliver is back to himself.

 

[edwinf8936]

The best advice I can give is to watch what he is eating. If he has been shedding watch for when he first does not eat all, are ignores what he normally eat. I have this problem with MR. Z. He normally loves craisins and chew sticks. When he starts to back up he will still eat hay and kale but will not eat much of his treats.

That is when I get the pineapple juice and give him three of the 3 ml syrines of juice twice a day by mouth. In the morning and in at night. It takes a few days for him to get back to normal, but he will keep eating and his bowels will start moving. Lovely smell.

If he does get to where he is eating nothing I would end up taking him to the vet and he would get a IV of fluids and some meds. I have only had to take him to the vet twice for this. My other three don't seem to have this problem.

I know he is all better when he starts eating his craisins again.

ed